Dwarves

Dwarves (cultural name: Tumnii) descend from the Lesser Titans who served Creation/Order, but whose runic nature was (partially) stolen during the 2nd Titan-Wyrm War...by their fellow Titans. Like the earth, they are solid and not easily moved; their tempers are volcanic when finally roused.

A Word About Clans

Tumnii use the word "ogav" (pl. "ogav", transliterated from runic script) for their super-family, sub-national organization; this is generally translated into Common as "clan" but is more literally "unit". An Ogav is roughly a group of tumnisi families who share governance and responsibility for a particular region (whether of tunnels or of surface lands). These families are usually related by blood and marriage, but such relationships are much less important than the bonds of Sanaa-ogavni (roughly "idea unity", often shortened to Sanoga). Sanaa-ogavni is the concept of being one in thought with another dwarf or group of dwarves. Across tumnisi cultures, this concept is usually one of the highest virtues. Clan splits are not uncommon nor are they particularly rancorous, usually, as lack of Sanoga means the clan would struggle to function. Lone dwarves, bereft of ogav, are considered outsiders and suspicious. The fact that other races (other than goblins) seem to lack the concept of sanoga as a driving force makes many dwarves suspicious of "tall folk".

Ogav tend to be led by a chief, usually called the Clan Chief, who is generally male. They handle the "hard" affairs of the clan. A woman (generally) serves as Chief Listener, handling the "soft affairs" of the clan and most importantly the Sanaa-ogavni. As a result, the Chief Listener tends to have the final say in important matters of clan business, although sanoga means that usually intra-clan disputes are small and mostly about process or means, not ends.

Inter-clan disputes are generally settled via council, although this differs strongly among inter-clan groups. Unlike sanoga which governs intra-clan relationships...there are no binding principles for inter-clan relationships except the general principles of truth and honor to which most clans at least pay lip service. There are no generally-accepted terms for inter-clan councils worldwide, although the Council of Exemplars in Fuar Uulan is an example of such councils.

Physiology

Tumnii are overwhelmingly born as fraternal twins--one male and one female. Dwarves are considered adult at age 25 and generally live until they are about 120. Overall, they tend to be shorter than humans, standing between 4'0" and 5'2", but broader and more muscular. Generally, all adult dwarves have beards. Whether one or both sexes shave is a cultural matter. Of all the lineages of Quartus, there is the most in-group physiological difference between cultural groups of tumnii, as their physiology directly adapts to their circumstances at the clan-group level.

Noefran Dwarven Culture

Several main branches of dwarven culture exist, each with sub-divisions. Notable for the relative lack of sexual dimorphism relative to other dwarven groups.

Council Dwarves

These are the clans that were once part of the Council Lands until its dissolution. Since then they've spread throughout the Successor States and into Shinevog and elsewhere. When most people of the Federated Nations think of dwarves, they're thinking of Council Dwarves. Two main sub-varieties: Surfacers and Deep-Mountain. Both groups have strongly-assigned gender roles, but neither gender is dominant. Male dwarves tend to deal with the "hard" things and women with the "soft" matters; men deal with crafting and mining while women farm or trade. Women are the judges and leaders. Ask a male dwarf to take charge and he'll almost always defer to his wife. Stubbornness is taught from a young age. Both varieties speak closely-related versions of Bidni-kell. Virtually all Surfacer dwarves speak Common; many, but not all, Deep-Mountain dwarves do as well. In the most traditional, xenophobic clans, one or two low-status individuals are designated as "speakers with Outside" and learn Common.

Surfacer

Surfacer dwarves have ancestors that lived above ground and were craftsmen and traders. They tend to be taller than deep-mountain dwarves (averaging 4'8" with 5'0" not being too uncommon) but more wiry and slender than mountain dwarves. Sexual dimorphism (while muted compared to other races) is more pronounced in surfacer dwarves than in deep-mountain dwarves. This mainly shows up in facial features and body build. Height, weight, and strength are only minimally different. Female surfacer dwarves tend to have sharper features and straighter, longer hair than males. Both have elaborate beards.

Surfacer dwarves are less culturally conservative than deep-mountain dwarves, but still very conservative compared to other races (humans, especially). Surfacer dwarfs are not considered adult until they are married, with only a few (adventurers, basically) exceptions. Marriages are for life and divorce is strongly stigmatized. Remarriage happens after the death of a spouse, but is not very common. Widows and widowers gain the appellation "sigan," meaning "broken."

Deep-mountain

Deep-mountain dwarves are the arch-conservatives to the surfacer dwarves' moderation. Lack of ready access to rich foods and ample spaces have stunted the deep-mountain dwarves in height (averaging 4'4"); the constant workload in the mines and tunnels has increased their strength. There are very few external differences between deep-mountain dwarf sexes (unless you get them naked).

Except for adventurers, all deep-mountain dwarves that are found outside of their clans are married. The two act as a single unit. Marriages are monogamous and for life. Remarriage is extremely rare and strongly stigmatized. Adultery is social suicide (and often considered criminal). Widows and widowers tend to volunteer for the most hazardous duties and often become death-seekers (not suicidal per se, just unconcerned for their own lives). Children are raised by the clan as a whole.

Social stigmas are extremely powerful for deep-mountain dwarves. This leads to clan-level conformity. From the outside, it often appears as if a clan of mountain dwarves is a single organism that shares a mind (sanoga to the extreme). Disagreements (while they exist) are never shared outside the clan. The greatest taboo is to knowingly write falsehoods. This taboo is enforced by the death penalty.

Naming

Dwarven names (especially those from the Council Lands) are unisex and of the form <Given> <Clan>.

Example given names include:

Adilet, Aibek, Anara, Aybek, Bermet, Cholpon, Gulnara, Jyrgal, Ruslan, Sukhrab, Taalay, Zhyrgal.

Clan names include:

Chingis, Batbayar, Khulan, Gerel, Naranbaatar, Narangerel, Sarnai, Tsetseg

For clan structure in the Council Lands, see Dwarven Clans.